the warriors amused themselves with field sports, and many pleasant
games. Then a party of Moorish messengers were brought before the
king. They came from Marsilius at Saragossa, who had sent to beg peace
of Charlemagne.

"What will Marsilius give for peace?" asked the king.

"If you will go back to your own country, and cease this unhappy war,"
answered they, "then Marsilius binds himself to do this: he will go to
Aix at Michaelmas, and be baptized; he will do homage then for Spain,
and will faithfully hold it in fief from you; he will give you great
store of treasures,--four hundred mules loaded with gold, and fifty
cart-loads of silver, besides numbers of bears and lions and tame
greyhounds, and seven hundred camels, and a thousand moulted falcons.
Too long has this cruel war been waging. Marsilius would fain have
peace."

Charlemagne listened to the words of the messengers, but he was not
quick to answer. He called together his peers, and laid the matter
before them.

"What think you of the Moor's offers of peace?" asked he.

"Put no trust in Marsilius!" cried Roland. "He is the most faithless
of Pagans, and speaks only lies. Carry on the war as you have begun,
and talk not of peace until Saragossa is ours."

Charlemagne's face grew dark, yet he said not a word. It was plain
that he coveted the treasures which Marsilius had promised. Then
Ganelon arose, and with curling lip, thus answered,--